Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Bahrain’s Crown Prince – Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa in Manam have agreed to further strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation between the two countries.
During the meeting, FM Qureshi conveyed sincere congratulations and best wishes to the Crown Prince on the appointment as Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Crown Prince reciprocated the warm sentiments extended by the Prime Minister.
Recalling the close bilateral ties between Pakistan and Bahrain, the Foreign Minister underlined that the relations were deeply rooted in shared history and cultural affinities, sustained and nourished through growing economic linkages and close people-to-people contacts.
The Foreign Minister underlined that strong political and security linkages between the two countries should supplement to strengthen cooperation in economic and trade sector. He also stressed for exploring new areas of cooperation for the benefit of the peoples of the two countries.
His Royal Highness expressed appreciation for the contribution made by the Pakistani expatriate community towards Bahrain’s progress and economic development. He also highlighted the close cooperation extended by Pakistan in the development of Bahrain’s defence and security capabilities.
The Foreign Minister extended the invitation, on behalf of the Prime Minister, to His Royal Highness to visit Pakistan at the earliest convenience.
FM Qureshi’s Bahrain Visit
Prior to this, FM Qureshi had met with H.E. General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, the Interior Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain in Manama earlier in the day.
During the meeting, the two Ministers exchanged views on issues of mutual interest. Foreign Minister Qureshi lauded the Kingdom’s earnest efforts to contain Covid-19 pandemic. He thanked the Government of Bahrain for administering COVID-19 vaccines to Pakistanis living in Bahrain.
The Foreign Minister also appreciated the active role of the Ministry of Interior in facilitating the Pakistan community in Bahrain during the testing times of COVID-19 pandemic, by launching Visa Amnesty Scheme; waiver of fines; and repatriation of pardoned prisoners, stranded individuals and families to Pakistan.
Foreign Minister Qureshi said that Pakistan attached importance to its close relations with the Kingdom of Bahrain and remained committed to expand this relationship in all spheres of bilateral cooperation.
The Interior Minister extended warm welcome to the Foreign Minister and underscored the importance Bahrain attaches to its fraternal relations with Pakistan. The Bahraini Interior Minister expressed his satisfaction over the strength contributed to the bilateral relationship through close cooperation in defence and security areas.
Acknowledging the important contribution of Pakistani expatriate community in the development of Bahrain, the Interior Minister reiterated the commitment of the Government of Bahrain to provide safe and secure environment to Pakistanis expatriates in Bahrain.
Separately, the 2nd Meeting of the Bahrain-Pakistan Joint Ministerial Commission was held on 28-29 July 2021 in Manama. The Bahraini side was chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Dr Abdullatif Bin Rashid Al Zayani, while the Pakistani side was chaired by the FM Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
The two sides highlighted the importance of the regular meetings of established bilateral mechanisms and high-level bilateral visits, recalling the successful visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain by His Excellency Mr. Imran Khan, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on 16 December 2019, and the landmark State visit of His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa to Pakistan in February 2014, which laid a strong foundation to build a close partnership between the two countries, and the visit of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain to Pakistan in December 2006.
Both countries held fruitful discussions and agreed to work together for B2B interaction between businessmen of two sides, finalization of MoU between Trade Development Authority Pakistan and Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority, cooperation for joint investment in industrial sector and holding expert level meetings of joint working groups in agriculture, Trade & Investment, labour and manpower, oil and gas sector and IT sector.
On the sidelines of JMC, an MoU between Bahrain Development Board(EDB) and Board of Investment of Pakistan was also signed to promote bilateral investment between the two friendly countries.
